No doubt when an election is approaching it promotes ill-informed comments like those of Jennifer Nichols, the president of Maitland Business Chamber. I stand by my comment with regard to the anti-social behaviour and malicious damage in the CBD “ the present system is not working and we must make it work.”

I stepped up to the plate on March 25, 2008 long before Ms Nichols made any comment and I had the unanimous support of council for the following Notice of Motion:

1: That council request the Maitland Liquor Accord consider implementing a 12am lockdown on a voluntary basis in all licensed premises in Maitland for a three month period.

2: That licensed premises in the CBD co-ordinate their security to have a presence in the Heritage Mall and between venues for one hour after the lockdown.

3: No alteration of trading hours be requested.

The Maitland Business Chamber and the Liquor Accord chose a more liberal course.

The innocent business owners, operators and residents of central Maitland that are subjected to the acts of some low-life need protection.

The choice is a further financial impost on small business and other ratepayers or a tougher stance on the problem.

It is interesting that Ms Nichols now calls on council yet at the last Liquor Accord working party meeting that we both attend, not a whimper. It must be because she is a candidate.

This is a very serious issue and a real social problem. It will not be solved by pandering to those who flout the law and common decency.

It will be improved by a tougher stance on the cause of the problem rather than the high cost of defending peoples businesses and personal safety and waste of police resources on a sector of society that we don’t want.